NYT: Health Groups Expect to Miss AIDS Target

[DeepModem Mom]

Health Groups Expect to Miss AIDS Target
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN and DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Published: June 30, 2005


The World Health Organization and the United Nations AIDS program said yesterday that they would not reach their heavily promoted "3 by 5" goal of treating three million H.I.V.-infected poor people by the end of 2005.

Officials of several health agencies fighting AIDS blamed problems in the drug supply chain and shortages of health workers.

At the same time, they expressed hope that the number of people dying of the disease annually could stop growing by next year.

About one million people in poor countries are receiving antiretroviral drugs, said Dr. Jim Yong Kim, director of the World Health Organization's AIDS department, meaning the program is not on track to reach the goal announced in late 2003. The agency set three million as its goal because it seemed to be a reasonable target that could inspire donors and poor countries to act quickly.

Donors have committed $27 billion over the next three years but have delivered only $9 billion, the health agencies said....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/30/health/30immune.html